ICS 71.100.40  
 
Reference number  
DRS 481:2021  
© RSB 2021  
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS  
481  
 
First edition  
2021 -mm-dd 
 
Car shampoo —Specification  
   
DRS 481: 2021  
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    ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 In order to match with technological  development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2021  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 481: 2021  
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 Contents  Page 
 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
4.2 Specific  requirements  ................................ ................................ .... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
5 Packag ing and labelling ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
5.1 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 3 
5.2 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  3 
6 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 3 
Annex  A (normative)  Test for solubility  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 4 
A.1 Preparation of synthetic hard water  ................................ ................................ ...........................  4 
A.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4 
Annex  B (normative)  Test for rinsing properties  ................................ ................................ ..................  5 
Annex  C (normative)  Determination of pH  ................................ ................................ .............................  6 
C.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  6 
C.2 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6 
C.3 Reagents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 6 
C.4 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6 
 
. DRS 481: 2021  
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    ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 Foreword   
Rwanda Standard s are prepared by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB,  in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of sta ndards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards. Final Draft Rwanda Standards adopted 
by Technical committees are ratified  by members of RSB Board of Directors for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 481 was p repared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 042, Surface active agents.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Surface active agents  (RSB/TC 
042) in the preparation of this standard.  
Paragraph of participa nts 
University of Rwanda / College of Sciences and Technology (UR/CST)  
University of Rwanda / College of  Education (CE)  
Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer protection Authority (RICA)  
Standards For Sustainability (SFS)  
ORIBIT Company Ltd  
Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS 481: 2021  
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    ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 Introduction   
Car shampoo is used to remove dirt stains and marks from the vehicle and bring back the shine and lustre of 
the vehicle.  It is also gentle enough to not dry out the trim or plastic components of the vehicle.  
Car shampoo is more aggressive at removing contaminants from your vehicle than regular home detergents for 
general use, but won’t damage the paintwork. Instead, most will leave a protective barrier so that contaminants 
don’t stick on the paint  
A car shampoo is primarily composed of surfactants. Surfactants ( Surface Active Age nt) are chains of carefully 
designed two -part molecules, one end of which loves water, and the other end dirt. When you apply shampoo 
to a surface the surfactants seek out all the dirt and try to surround it. Once surrounded they hold it in suspension  
in the water, thereby allowing it to be easily rinsed away. Surfactants try to get under the dirt, lifting it from 
surfaces, though there are other ways to further increase the pow er of the shampoo and help it to remove soiling 
from a surface, more on that later.  
 DRS 481:2021  
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    ©RSB 2021 - All rights reserved  
 Car shampoo — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Draft Rwanda standard specifies the requirements , sampling and test methods for a car shampoo used 
for cleaning cars . 
 
It does not apply to waterless car shampoo.  
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of  their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the edition  cited applies. For undated references, the 
latest edition of the reference d document (including any amendments) applies.  
RS ISO 862, Surface active agents — Vocabulary  
ASTM D6616 -17, Standard Test Method for Measuring Viscosity at High -Shear Rate by Tapered bearing 
simulator viscometer at 100 ºC  
RS 278, Cosmetics — Methods of s ampling  
ISO 2271, Surface active agents — Detergents — Determination of anionic active matter by manual or 
mechanical direct two -phase titration procedure  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the terms and definitions given in RS ISO 8 62 and the following apply.  
3.1 
car shampoo  
cleaning liquid that is used in combination with a washmitt to clean a car in a safe way . DRS 481:2021  
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 4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  The car shampoo shall be an homogeneous liquid, free from any sediment or foreign matter  and may 
be coloured . 
4.1.2  The car shampoo  shall be free from objectionable odour.  
4.1.3  The car shampoo  shall not attack nor have deleterious effect on cars  
4.1.4  The car shampoo  shall be completely soluble and effective in both hard and soft water.  
4.1.5  The active ingredients  used shall be biodegradable.  
4.1.6  All the substances used in the car shampoo  shall comply with the requirements of  all parts of  RS EAS 
377. 
4.2 Specific requirements  
Car shampoo shall comply with the specific requirements given in table 1, when tested in accordance with the 
method described there in.  
Table 1 —Specific requirements  for car shampoo  
S/N Characteristics  Requirements  Temperature  
i. Solubility in water  Completely soluble  Annex A  
ii. Rinsing properties  To pass the test  Annex B  
iii. pH 5-9 Annex C  
v. Viscosity, max. mPas  2000  ASTM D6616 -17 
vi. Anionic surfactant, % by mass  5.0-10.0 RS ISO 2271  
 
Table 2 —Limits for heavy metal contaminants for car shampoo  
S/N Characteristics  Requirements  Temperature  
i. Lead, mg/kg, max  20 
RS EAS 847 -16 ii. Arsenic, mg/kg, max  2 
iii. Mercury, mg/kg, max  2 
NOTE 1 The total amount of heavy metals as lead, mercury and arsenic, in combination, in the finished product should not exce ed 20 
mg/kg.  
 
NOTE 2 The heavy metals including lead, mercury and arsenic may be as a result of contamination during processing and should not 
be deliberately added as ingredients.  DRS 481:2021  
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 5 Packaging and labelling  
5.1 Packaging  
The car shampoo  shall be packed in a suitable, well -closed container, to prot ect the integrity of the product.  
5.2 Labelling  
The container shall be marked legibly and indelibly with the following information:  
a) name of the product as " Car shampoo";  
b) manufacturers name and physical address;  
NOTE: The name, physical address of the distributo r/supplier and trade mark may be  added as required.  
c) batch or code number;  
d) net weight;  
e) country of origin;  
f) instructions for use (which shall be in either Kinyarwanda, English, Kiswahili or French or in combination 
as agreed between the manufacturer and supplier ”); 
g) date of manufacture and b est before date.  
6 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with RS 278.  
 DRS 481:2021  
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 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Test for solubility  
A.1 Preparation of synthetic hard water  
Weigh to the nearest 0.001 g, about 0.264 g of CaCl 2.2H 2O and 0.295 g of MgSO 4. 2H 2O. Transfer  quantitatively  
to a 1 -L volumetric flask; dissolve in a small portion of distilled water and make up to the mark with distilled 
water.  
The resulting solution will have a concentration of 8.1 millimole per litre calcium hardness.  
A.2 Procedure  
Using pipette, transfer 5.0 mL of the shampoo into a test tube and add sufficient synthetic hard water prepared 
in A.1 to give a volume of 50 mL. Stir vigorously for 5 min, and observe for solubility . 
  DRS 481:2021  
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 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Test for rinsing properties  
Dissolve 2.0 mL of the car shampoo as comp letely as possible in 98 mL of synthetic hard water (see A.1) at 
ambient temperature, in a clean 250 -mL Erlenmeyer flask. Stopper the flask and stir vigorously for 1 min. Pour 
out the solution. Rinse the flask by the same procedure, using three 75 mL porti ons of synthetic hard water 
alone. Invert the flask, allow to dry and examine for any residue not rinsed from the interior. The flask shall 
contain no more residues after being dried than a similar allowed drying after rinsing with synthetic hard water 
alone. 
 DRS 481:2021  
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 Annex  C 
(normative)  
 
Determination of pH  
C.1 General  
pH determination should be made in an acid free atmosphere.  
C.2 Apparatus  
C.2.1  Any standard pH meter, equipped with a low sodium error glass electrode. The instrument calibrated 
and standardized with standard buffer so lutions before use . 
C.2.2  Volumetric flask, 1000mL capacity  
C.2.3  Beakers, 1000mL  
C.3 Reagents  
C.3.1  Distilled water shall be boiled thoroughly or purged with carbon dioxide -free air to remove carbon  dioxide 
and shall be protected with soda lime or soda asbestos while cooling and in storage. The pH of this water shall 
be protected with soda lime or soda asbestos while cooling and in storage. The pH of this water shall be between 
6.2 and 7.2 at 27 °C. The residue on evaporation when heated at 105 °C for one hour shal l not exceed  0.5 mL 
per litre.  
C.3.2  Standard buffer solutions with the pH range of 9 to 11 at 27 °C for calibrating the pH meter . 
C.4 Procedure  
Weigh to the nearest milligram approximately 10 g of the material and transfer to a 1 -L volumetric flask.  
Partially fill the flask with distilled water and agitate until the sample is completely dissolved. Adjust the  
temperature of the solution and the distilled water to 27 °C ± 2 °C and fill to the calibration mark with distilled 
water, stopper the flask mix thoroughly and allow the solution to stand at a temperature of 27 °C ± 2 °C for two 
hours prior to measuring the pH. Measure the pH of the solution at 27 °C ± 2 °C using a glass electrode.  
 DRS 481: 2021  
 
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